A SpaceX launch vehicle, a component of Elon Musk’s aerospace enterprise, encountered a significant explosion during a test mission on Thursday, resulting in disturbances in air travel.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) informed *TechCrunch* that it was required to “slow and divert a number of aircraft” operating in proximity to the incident site. Flight monitoring data from Flightradar24 indicated that multiple planes modified their speed or changed their flight paths in airspace near Puerto Rico. Airlines faced disruptions as well: JetBlue postponed several flights headed for San Juan, while American Airlines rerouted fewer than 10 flights, as reported by *CNBC*.

If you didn’t catch it, the event transpired during the Starship’s ascent burn, which SpaceX referred to as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly”—a technical term for an explosion. In layman’s terms, the rocket exploded mid-air. Elon Musk posted a video of the debris dropping back to Earth, a sight many found visually captivating despite the incident.

Although the explosion led to some challenges for air travelers, it certainly provided a stunning view as the debris fell. Ultimately, it was an impressive showcase of engineering in action, even if the outcome was not as intended.